On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:57:13 -0700, Chuck Gould
wrote:

On Nov 2, 1:34?pm, wrote:
On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:59:13 -0700, Chuck Gould

wrote:
We had reduced Japanese naval power to the point where an effective
blockade of the island nation would probably have inspired its
surrender within a matter of weeks...likely without an invasio

The GIs who took Okinawa would probably dissagree with this
assessment. There were still Japanese soldiers holding out on islands
years after the war. I dsoubt there was any kind of attrition war that
would have defeated them and we might still have an Iraqi style
insurrection around the world.
Remember the Japanese invented the suicide bomber.

The conquest of Okinawa undoubtedly contributed to the disheartened
state of the Japanese empire at the time of the bombing. From what I
have been able to learn after the fact, I tend to agree with the
opinions expressed by Generals Eisenhower and MacArthur, as well as
Admiral Leahy. We had options. We chose one that proved to work
decisively.
Monday morning quarterbacks and certain generals and admirals will
long debate whether we chose the "best" option. We succeeded in
keeping the Russians out of Japan, denying them warm water Pacific
naval bases that would have allowed them to more easily launch a
conventional, 1940's style war against the United States.

Speaking of Japanese in a boating forum...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinyo

These came up in a novel I'm reading. Interesting vessels!

On Nov 2, 3:30?pm, John H. wrote:
On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:57:13 -0700, Chuck Gould





wrote:
On Nov 2, 1:34?pm, wrote:
On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:59:13 -0700, Chuck Gould

wrote:
We had reduced Japanese naval power to the point where an effective
blockade of the island nation would probably have inspired its
surrender within a matter of weeks...likely without an invasio

The GIs who took Okinawa would probably dissagree with this
assessment. There were still Japanese soldiers holding out on islands
years after the war. I dsoubt there was any kind of attrition war that
would have defeated them and we might still have an Iraqi style
insurrection around the world.
Remember the Japanese invented the suicide bomber.

The conquest of Okinawa undoubtedly contributed to the disheartened
state of the Japanese empire at the time of the bombing. From what I
have been able to learn after the fact, I tend to agree with the
opinions expressed by Generals Eisenhower and MacArthur, as well as
Admiral Leahy. We had options. We chose one that proved to work
decisively.
Monday morning quarterbacks and certain generals and admirals will
long debate whether we chose the "best" option. We succeeded in
keeping the Russians out of Japan, denying them warm water Pacific
naval bases that would have allowed them to more easily launch a
conventional, 1940's style war against the United States.

Speaking of Japanese in a boating forum...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinyo

These came up in a novel I'm reading. Interesting vessels!- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Sort of an ominous caption on the second photo

"A Shinyo underway, being tested by an American soldier".

What? Was he a prisoner, strapped into place? Let's hope the testing
was *after* the war was over..........

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:34:58 -0500, gfretwell wrote:


The GIs who took Okinawa would probably dissagree with this assessment.
There were still Japanese soldiers holding out on islands years after
the war. I dsoubt there was any kind of attrition war that would have
defeated them and we might still have an Iraqi style insurrection around
the world.
Remember the Japanese invented the suicide bomber.

Exactly, at that time, the Japanese knew they couldn't win the war, but they had hopes that
they could make the cost of invading Japan so high, we would go for some sort of an
armistice. They had very little fuel, but they still had 10,000 planes to be used as kamikaze.
The plan was to target troop transports, rather than carriers and battleships. One Japanese
study suggested that they could eliminate 1/3 to 1/2 of the invasion force before it's landing.

Interestingly, 500,000 Purple Hearts were manufactured in anticipation of the casualties an
invasion of Japan would cause. Even after the Korean War, Vietnam, etc., we still have over
100,000 stockpiled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Downfall

On Nov 3, 10:56?am, WaIIy wrote:
On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:59:13 -0700, Chuck Gould

wrote:
We had reduced Japanese naval power to the point where an effective
blockade of the island nation would probably have inspired its
surrender within a matter of weeks...likely without an invasion.

What a suprise coming from just another "Useful idiot".

Are you characterizing Admiral Leahy as a useful idiot?
That was his opinion at the time, and he was Chief of Staff to both
Roosevelt and Truman.

On Nov 4, 1:13 am, Chuck Gould wrote:
On Nov 3, 10:56?am, WaIIy wrote:
On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:59:13 -0700, Chuck Gould

wrote:
We had reduced Japanese naval power to the point where an effective
blockade of the island nation would probably have inspired its
surrender within a matter of weeks...likely without an invasion.

What a suprise coming from just another "Useful idiot".

Are you characterizing Admiral Leahy as a useful idiot?

Hmmm......

Well, all Leahy had to say about the bomb during the war was "I'm and
expert in explosives, and I say these things will never work".